The Project:
Kundapur is a town situated near the beach on the west coast of Karnataka state, and is very close to the Western Ghats (a mountain ridge). The Western Ghats is India's prime zone for bio-diversity and known for its animal and plant species in this region. FSL-India has been involved in developing projects for many years in this region and has now formed a very strong network of local partners and local volunteers.
In 2004, FSL-India started a Marine Turtle protection project in collaboration with the Forest and Wild Life Department of the State of Karnataka. Over a 60 kilometer stretch of beach, surveys are conducted and turtle nests are protected until the hatching of the eggs. In 2011, more than 1500 baby turtles reached the ocean safely thanks to the effort of our volunteers. This year again we will aim to improve our performance. The Work Camp will focus on creating awareness to the general public, fishermen community and to the schools about the importance of turtles in the bio-diversity. Awareness programs for the local community will involve Beach walks and house visits, Puppet shows, Dramas and plays, Mural Painting etc. The volunteers will also be involved in building Turtle Information Centre huts along the beach.
In August 2014, FSL India initiated the Sustainable Agriculture Project (SAP) at its newly constructed Training center in Kundapur. The vision of this project is to evolve a model of sustainable agriculture for sustainable livelihood. This involves integrating different farming systems for efficient use of conservation and management of Natural Resources. Depending on the season, the volunteers will be engaged in any of the following SAP activities – Crop cultivation, Composting, Azolla cultivation, Kitchen garden, Medicinal plants cultivation, Nursery management, Fruit and forestry plantation etc.
The workcamp also involves teaching children in the local schools about Basic English and Mathematics, Health and Hygiene awareness, and Environmental protection through creative learning methods like art, music, games etc. There will also be house visits and interactions with local rural people and as part of the cultural exchange, volunteers will witness and participate in the cultural programs with local community.
Kundapur is a coastal town in Udupi district, Karnataka state in South India. Cities near to Kundapur include: Udupi (35 kms), Mangalore (95 kms) and Bangalore (435 kms). People coming to Kundapur fly into Mangalore or Bangalore International Airport. The nearest airport is Mangalore International Airport, around 100 kilometers from Kundapur. Kundapur also can be reached from Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore and Kerala by train/bus. The exact Meeting Point will be mentioned in the info sheets.
In the FSL-India Training Center with shared rooms.